Epics of Noche 5, Reflection

EON CH 23 - ACT 68, RAZOR'S EDGE

BEAR TRAP.

1777, APRIL 07th, THURSDAY6:00 am.

Noche walked after Jackalope as they went deeper into the forest. When they reached far enough to where the light couldn't make its way past the canopy Galloway was waiting for them. The blonde immediately went into a scowl and pushed her way past her companion. She stepped into a bear trap.

A normal one would have a toy next to her augment. A DriveMetal one could have the potential to harm her, but it was unlikely given the durability of her skin. However, this one was neither and it turned Noche's skin into stretched rubber.

The blonde winced and let out a little curse before inspecting her foot. The ankle was shattered – bone visible through torn flesh and fabric. The pain was bearable; Noche chuckled. Bearable. Bear trap. Funny.

"Galloway, is there a reason there's a bear trap able to harm me out here?" Noche asked in a calm voice.

"I put it here."

"Of course you did," Noche let out a little sigh. "I take it the thing is surreal? Doesn't obey reality or the laws of physics?"

"You are correct. Like Creeps, I too can control reality as fluidly as imagination in some instances."

"Wonderful. You know, I'm getting annoyed that my supreme augment is getting little use. Why ever bother improving it when facing an opponent who outright ignores it? Stupid reality-bending mother fuckers. Like trying to fight magic with a rock."

Galloway waited for her to finish her rant.

"Ok – ok. I'm good. I'm fine," she chuckled. "WHY... Is there a bear trap here?"

"We need to enter Limbo."

"Great. I'll just kill myself."

"Not this time. You have to enter limbo without dying."

"Oh. Is that all? How easy... About the bear trap?"

"It's motivational encouragement. To keep you trapped here until you figure out how to teleport."

"Aah."

"See you in Limbo."

With those words Galloway and Jackalope fade away. Vanishing from sight like a pair of ghosts. Noche lowered her gaze to her mangled leg. With how torn up it was she could probably rip her foot off.

Nah, that was a bad idea. She would bleed to death. She cooooould cauterize the wound, but using fire was lame. Besides, she was here to master Limbo. Dying would kinda defeat the purpose of training. So with that thought out of her mind, Noche began to focus.

Three days later, Noche let out a groan in a cracking voice. It wasn't the first time she'd been without food or water for an extended period of time, she could deal with that. No, it was the boredom that was killing her. She was going to die from that before the infection in her foot got her.

Noche barely slept during this time. She put all her focus on trying to use Limbo, but even after confronting her mental hangups she still had no fucking clue what she was doing. Out of frustration, she tried to open the bear trap, but it was supernaturally sealed shut. Likewise with trying to remove it from the ground. Stupid fucking surreal bullshit.

The thought of ripping off her foot was considered more than once, but she didn't want to bleed to death and give Galloway the satisfaction of having failed his little test.