I stood in the submerged Flooded Repair Center, a biomechanical expanse of rusted maintenance docks, biomechanical scaffolds, and repair pods, awash in viscous, corrupted fluid.
The Central Repair Altar glowed with faint Purity sigils, offering a connection to Seraph-7.
My two Blood Bulbs pulsed in my operator interface, sustained by the Seraphic Mantle, which radiated a calming aura and carried Seraph-7's Blessing.
Radiant Aegis was expended, but the Ecdysis Spur thrummed in my grip, and the Proto-Vessel Shard, at low capacity, allowed one final use of Pulse Lash.
I held a Purity Shard, capable of restoring Purifying Light or enhancing altars.
I approached the Central Repair Altar, its Purity sigils resonating with my Seraphic Mantle.
I channeled the Purity Shard into the altar, aiming to restore Purifying Light.
The Shard dissolved in a flare of white-gold light, reactivating Purifying Light for one use, capable of purging corruption or stunning enemies.
The altar's energy surged, awakening a dormant Repair Drone (one Core Shard), which hummed to life and scanned me.
Guided by the altar's Purity alignment, it initiated a repair protocol.
Biomechanical tendrils extended, mending my systems, restoring my Blood Bulbs to full capacity.
My interface logged: ''Two Blood Bulbs restored.''
My interface logged: ''Purifying Light restored. Blood Bulbs fully repaired.''
This strong successes restored Purifying Light and my four Blood Bulbs without complications.
The Repair Drone deactivated, its Core Shard dimming, and the Neuro-Wisp ensured no psychic strain.
The Purity Shard was consumed, but the altar's glow suggested it remained viable for further interaction.
With Lumen's Guiding Pulse illuminating the submerged chamber, I explored the rusted docks and repair pods, seeking relics or systems.
My Threat Scanner detected a stalking presence—a Wet Lung, a biomechanical predator with a pulsating, fluid-filled exoskeleton and one Core Shard, trailing me through the corrupted fluid.
However before engaging it, I uncovered a glass-encased relic in a scaffold:
It was the Bile Irritant gun.
A bio-gun weapon that fired irradiated bile spikes, highly effective against exoskeletons.
I used the Ecdysis Spur to shatter the glass, and claim the weapon.
My interface logged: ''Bile Irritant Gun acquired. +2 to combat rolls against exoskeleton Vessels.''
The critical successes yielded the Bile Irritant gun without triggering additional drones, though the Wet Lung's presence escalated the threat.
The Wet Lung lunged from the fluid, its exoskeleton pulsing with hostility!
I wielded the Bile Irritant gun, its irradiated spikes primed for the exoskeleton's weak points, with Lumen's Guiding Pulse creating openings.
I activated the bio-gun which fired a volley of spikes, piercing the Wet Lung's Core Shard, causing its exoskeleton to rupture in a spray of corrupted fluid.
The creature hissed and collapsed, neutralized.
My interface logged: ''Wet Lung defeated.''
The Neuro-Wisp's light prevented psychic backlash, ensuring no strain or damage.
I pressed deeper into the Flooded Repair Center, wading through the corrupted fluid, Lumen's Guiding Pulse highlighting submerged scaffolds and repair pods.
The Neuro-Wisp's light cut through the murk, revealing a partially submerged pod containing the MM Manipulator Gun, a biomechanical tool encased in a protective field.
My Ecdysis Spur shattered the field, and I claimed the tool gun.
My interface logged: ''MM Manipulator Gun acquired. Grasp light objects, transport noxious materials, detach/attach vessel parts low corruption mods only; monitor corruption level to avoid penalties.''
The gun integrated seamlessly with my systems, allowing detachment of exoskeletons or limbs from enemies, attachable if corruption was negligible.
E.g., heads or limbs for ability boosts, but high corruption risked health penalties or alignment shifts.
I traveled deeper into the Repair Center, the fluid rising to my palm, Lumen's Guiding Pulse leading me through flooded corridors.
The Neuro-Wisp's light revealed a massive chamber, where the Devourer lurked—a colossal, maw-like vessel with three Core Shards, consuming Proto vessels (small biomechanical drones, one Core Shard each) and firing them as projectiles.
It roared, summoning four Proto vessels to feed it, initiating the fight.
My interface warned: ''Devourer engaged.''
I engaged the Devourer, targeting its Proto vessels to weaken its attacks.
Lumen darted around it, distracting the drones, while the Neuro-Wisp stabilized psychic interference.
I aimed and fired the Bile Irritant gun, its spikes destroying two Proto vessels, and the Ecdysis Spur slashes another.
The fourth drone was consumed by the Devourer, fired as a projectile.
I dodged, the drone shattering harmlessly.
The Devourer, at 3 Core Shards, entered Phase 2.
The Devourer fired a consumed drone.
The projectile slammed into me, causing minor damage.
My interface logged: ''1 Blood Bulb lost, 3 remaining.''
The Devourer launched energized burning plasmodia.
I used Pulse Lash, it's last use, its energy disrupting the plasmodia bubbles, and struck with the Ecdysis Spur.
The Lash shattered one Core Shard, reducing the Devourer to 2 Core Shards.
The Spur followed, destroying another, leaving it at 1 Core Shard.
The Devourer entered it's third Phase.
The Devourer gut split open!
Revealing inside a parasitic Vessel swinging bladed tentacles that released plasma bubbles!
I and Lumen dodged it, guided by the Guiding Pulse.
I delivered a final Ecdysis Spur strike, cleaving the Devourer's last Core Shard.
It collapsed!
My interface logged: ''Explosion immanent retreat.''
I fled back, finding cover behind a thick iron transportation pipe.
I massive biological explosion ensued.
My interface logged: ''Devourer neutralized.''
This critical successes ensured victory over the Devourer and its Proto vessels, securing the Repair Center.
I lost one Blood Bulb (3 remaining), and Pulse Lash was fully expended.
The Bile Irritant gun proved effective.
The Threat Scanner confirmed no new threats.
The Devourer's corpse exploded into pieces, yielding no additional relics, but the Repair Center's altar and pods where now fully accessible.
The Flooded Repair Center was quiet, with rusted docks, scaffolds, and pods in corrupted fluid.
Guided by Lumen's Guiding Pulse, I located another outlet pipe in the Repair Center's depths, its crystalline rim pulsing faintly.
I entered the pipe, descending through its narrow, fluid-filled interior.
The pipe opened into a larger chamber within the Flooded Research Facility, a cavernous biome of submerged laboratories, glowing data nodes, and biomechanical vats, filled with murky, corrupted water.
The chamber was dimly lit by flickering Purity sigils, and a ''New Billy'', a rare-type vessel with a sleek, eel-like exoskeleton and two Core Shards, pulsed menacingly in the center, its movements erratic and hostile.
I engaged New Billy, wielding the Ecdysis Spur to target its Core Shards, with Lumen's Guiding Pulse creating openings.
The Spur slashes through its exoskeleton, shattering one Core Shard in a burst of corrupted fluid!
New Billy retaliated with a psychic lash, but the Neuro-Wisp's light deflected the attack, leaving my three Blood Bulbs intact.
I struck again with the Spur, cleaving the second Core Shard, causing New Billy to collapse into a writhing heap.
My interface logged: ''New Billy neutralized.''
This critical successes ensured a flawless victory, preserving my three Blood Bulbs and resources.
The Neuro-Wisp prevented psychic strain, and the Bile Irritant and MM Manipulator Gun remain unused, ready for future encounters.
I searched New Billy's corpse, using the MM Manipulator Gun to safely handle its corrupted remains, guided by Lumen's light.
The gun detached viable components, revealing Red Bile, a volatile, crimson fluid pulsing with raw energy, and Research Scraps, advanced biomechanical fragments.
My interface logged: ''Red Bile acquired. Can power a system or enhance a weapon.
Research Scraps acquired, can reinforce systems for +1 temporary Blood Bulb or upgrade an ally's ability.''
The Manipulator Gun's field ensured negligible corruption.
''corruption level stable''
Allowing safe handling.
The Neuro-Wisp monitored for psychic interference, confirming no contamination.
This critical success yielded Red Bile and Research Scraps without corruption penalties or hazards.
The chamber remained secure, but the Threat Scanner detected a new presence nearby.
As I secured the finds, the Threat Scanner pinged, ''detecting Prince, a water proto-vessel''
The ''Prince'' was guarding an outlet pipe leading to the Palace.
Prince was a sleek, aquatic vessel with one Core Shard, its fluid-like form blending with the corrupted water, guarding the pipe with territorial aggression.
The Palace, hinted at in godhusk schematics, was a regal biome tied to Seraph-7's core systems, potentially a final step before the Core Nexus.
Lumen's Guiding Pulse highlighted the pipe's entrance, but Prince's presence required confrontation or evasion to proceed.
The Flooded Research Facility was a submerged biome of laboratories, data nodes, and vats, filled with corrupted water.
The Central Repair Altar, back at the Repair Center, was accessible via the first pipe, and the new pipe led to the Palace, guarded by Prince.
No other active threats were detected, but dormant Repair Drones may lurk.