The depths of this sewer finally took us to a resting point. A pit now laid before us where wastes would usually fall into but because of the infection everything dried up. Looking down, there was another path to even more flesh passages. Morality was already low at this point. Leon wasn't even pretending to be tough or hold up a front. We took a seat by the pit. The flesh now being so thick that the hallways felt like going through a giant intestine. Olley was fiddling her fingers while I just looked at the depths. Noises were even heard from down there which made things a bit worrying.

Olley: ...

Arc: I think this is where the source is coming from. Or at least something that could give us a hint to what's happening.

Leon: What the hell is even happening right now…

Olley: Leon…

Arc: I'm not sure. That's what I want to know.

Olley: Everything was just fine before you got here Adamian.

Arc: You really want to talk like that. We don't come here because we want to. We arrive at places because there's usually a problem in them already. It should already be a sign that it's gone overboard when someone like me arrives!

Olley: Stop fighting! We aren't going to go anywhere if we fight!

Leon: Oria… I was… supposed to protect her…

Arc: Tch! Everything's just so fucked.

Olley: Leon, you can't just blame people like that. And he has a name too y'know.

Leon: Argh!

Olley: Leon… We've lost people too… You aren't the only one hurting here.

Leon: I don't want to talk about this yucky stuff. It's not something a thug should do!

Olley: No it's not, it's what people do. Even if it's some yucky stuff you clearly need to talk about it.

Leon: I don't want to. Not in front of this Adamian.

Olley: Hey! That's not nice!

Leon: I never was…

Arc: Is that something that Oria would want you to say?

Leon: Don't you dare say her name!

Arc: Then why'd you let me do it then! If you were the big man then you would've done it yourself! Weren't thugs supposed to be doing the dirty work!

Leon: This… is fucking different!

Arc: How is it different? You said that you were a thug. People die because of the things your gang does.

Leon: You don't know anything about the districts, Adamian. Explaining how it works would just be a drag.

Arc: Whatever.

Olley: You two…

Arc: I lost someone too… A long time ago… Someone that I…

Leon: Huh…

Arc: She… well it's hard to describe what we had. I wasn't quite sure. Maybe it's also because of our culture that we choose to forget our bad memories using magic but she left something in me when she was gone. I couldn't forgive myself. I just had to forget the rest.

Leon: …

Arc: No matter how many times I use memory magic. I always seem to remember her somehow. It never gets any easier. Regrets, pain, death. Our species runs from them as much as you guys do. The only difference is that we don't have a choice to sit and wait for things to get better. For us, it could be the difference between life and death of a squad on a dangerous planet. You guys are lucky enough to live on with your lives. Have a family, love, and heal your wounds at your own pace. Nothing out there is easy especially for Adamians.

Olley: Arc…

Arc: Enough of this. You guys can go back and I can finish the exploration. I don't need people to slow me down. I don't think you'll be of use to me anymore Leon.

Leon: Don't get too cocky kid. The boss still said I have to watch over and report it back. I'm the one who's supposed to come out of this alive.

Arc: So be it.

Leon: Kid… Actually nevermind. Let's keep going.

After dropping down, we forged on into the main intestine of the sewers. The atmosphere was getting stuffier as we ventured deeper that everyone was sweating. What's worse was that the eyes on the walls were starting to look at us. Some of them looked agitated while others didn't seem to take a second glance. Though most of them were clearly following us like some kind of weird surveillance. It was starting to get on my nerves but I had to keep my cool or else everyone would start freaking out. Leon was still trying to recover from what just happened. He was clearly thinking of some other stuff rather than the mission. However, we don't have that luxury when at least a hundred eyes were looking directly at us. I'm surprised that Olley hadn't started poking the eye balls to get them to shut.

Olley: This place is starting to get on my nerves now. Please tell me we're already close.

Leon: This is pretty much farther than most of our gang ever been to. From here on out, we don't know what's ahead.

Arc: Well that's a problem.

Olley: So what did you do back then Leon?

Leon: Huh?

Olley: Well I'm just kind of curious. This dark and scary place kinda makes me feel a bit worried. Maybe telling me something about yourself can calm me.

Leon: Heh, you sound like my daughter.

Olley: You have a daughter!?

Leon: Well, yeah. She's a bit of a scaredy cat.

Olley: Rude! I'm not scared. It's just I'm not comfortable with this scenery. Flesh for walls? Eyeballs staring right at me… It feels unsettling than scary.

Leon: Eugh, I guess you're right.

Olley: Well, what's up then?

Leon: To be honest, I don't really have much to say. I've worked my entire life. Not a lot we can do besides work for money. Then that money goes to whatever. A boring life for boring men. Maybe if I had gone to school…

Olley: School?

Leon: You've never heard of school?

Olley: Well, everything I've learned I learned from my dad and mom. Mostly my dad.

Leon: Which district are you from?

Olley: Hunting.

Leon: You're a long way from home girly. I guess that's just part of the law again. Do you even know how to read and write?

Olley: Barely. Depends on the language. But there has to be something you can do. If I can say, you have a nice singing voice. Even if it was for… y'know…

Leon: I see…

Arc: Way to be tactful there huh Olley.

Olley: I said before I wasn't going at this stuff! Why are you so mean Arc!? Hmph!

Leon: Heh, it's almost like dealing with children. Well maybe I did want to be a singer. But the only person that actually encouraged me to, was her.

Arc: Guess that made sense then… You'd want someone that you love to support you.

Leon: Yeah…

Olley: Have you considered singing professionally? I mean your voice sounds quite robust for acting or opera signing.

Leon: You know about those kinds of things even if you live in the hunt district?!

Olley: I hear a lot of stuff from beyond the border walls. I personally love hearing the stories of what's beyond my home. But now I'm here walking in a giant intestine. Didn't expect that to be on my list of things when I left my district.

Leon: Dumb question but why did you leave? You're still a kid. Don't you have family waiting?

Olley: I'm looking for him. My dad went missing a long time ago and maybe I'll find him if I search around Hyer. That and I love a good adventure! Anything more than that boring village. My mom probably wanted me to stay but... I thought it would be a lot more fun with Arc!

Leon: What about him?

Arc: Don't talk as if I'm not literally next to you.

Leon: Then what are you here for huh? It don't make sense for an Adamian to just show up in front of a gang and shit.

Arc: I have a name. It's Arc.

Leon: Whatever, it's not like you're going to care about us anyway.

Olley: Why are you so rude to Arc?

Leon: I don't think you know what Adamians do, little girl. From the looks of things, you don't even know what an Adamian actually is.

Olley: I heard of them hehehe. I think.

Leon: Guess you don't know a thing about them. It doesn't look like your being forced with him though.

Olley: Arc! You tell me! I want it from you. Better to know a thing from the person itself right?

Arc: I don't know what you want to know. I'm basically a hired species that does extremely dirty work. It can go from executions of high officials, planetary discourse, and even empire collapsing. What we do on a planet isn't off limits. Extortion, genocide, and manipulation.

Olley: You're joking right?

Leon: Didn't your parents ever tell you about them? Or maybe even warn you? He's dangerous.

Olley: Arc?

Arc: I've never lied about who I am or lied where I came from. Now wouldn't be a good time to start. I told you before that it was your choice to follow me.

Olley: You killed people…

Arc: I told you before not to be involved with me.

Olley: Then why did you save me?

Arc: This again?

Olley: If you're as bad as Leon says you are then why help?

Arc: I don't know okay! I just don't know. I'm just a bit confused right now. Lots of things happened before I made it here. I'm not quite sure why I did what I did but now we're here. Maybe it's because there's something in me that's telling me to. I just don't know!

I smacked the flesh wall hard so that it produced a good amount of noise because this was starting to get irritating. She's been quite pushy for someone uncomfortable about this place. I didn't like talking about myself especially to random people. It doesn't make sense for me to. These people are probably people that I won't ever see again anyway. Olley held her arms to her chest then approached me. She touched my shoulders.

Olley: I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable like that. My bad.

Arc: Nevermind about it. I'm just not good at this stuff.

Olley: Me neither... I shouldn't have pressed on like that. I know it's a bit personal. I didn't mean to make you upset.

Arc: I shouldn't be upset. It's not how a soldier should be. Soldiers need to be strong.

Olley: But you're not a soldier… You're Arc… You're just Arc.

She slid her arms around my waist then pressed herself on my back. I could feel her entire being as she held on. I wasn't quite sure how to process this. I didn't have the courage to tell her to let go because I didn't know why. It was like some kind of foreign feeling that I've just started to experience.

Olley: From now on… You're Arc to me.

Arc: What does that even mean?

Olley: It starts today. That you know that you're not just a soldier now. You're just Arc. You're my friend. You saved me when I didn't even think that you would. I think that's all I need to know about you and your species. In the end we're all the same right? No matter what skin, body, or mind we have. In the end we're the same creatures that just want to survive.

Arc: What I've already done won't just go away y'know.

Olley: I know. But is that who you want to be?

Arc: No. Of course not! Why would I want to be? We were just kids! Just kids…

Leon: …

Olley: Then that's fine… Everything is fine… You're fine.

She let go but a part of me didn't want her to. I was just unsure what these kinds of emotions were that I didn't want to say anything else. I could feel my face a bit flushed but that would probably be from the area. Perhaps I should get that checked when I can. As I turned back, Olley smiled despite the surrounding area being so dangerous. This girl is just one of those unique ones. I've met plenty of strange people over the classes I've been assigned to. However, so far she's definitely one of the strangest. Leon didn't want to look at me, instead he just decided to take point. I don't particularly care about what everyone thinks of me but it sure does build up sometimes.

The path was starting to seem a bit different now. Somehow the direction we were going to was getting brighter. My contacts were showing me hints of light farther into the tunnel. It didn't make sense for there to be light deep inside these intestines. Leon and Olley seemed to have noticed it too the closer we got. Actually, that wasn't the only thing that we were starting to notice. Voices were echoing through too. The voices were people but not just one. Dozens of voices right beyond where the light was starting to shine brighter.

Leon: Are those people?

Olley: Only one way to find out.

Arc: Careful though, we know enough to know that these things can make human noises or even disguise themselves. Let's not get too carried away.

I got my staff ready once more while the others did theirs. It wasn't much distance to where the light was starting to reveal what was beyond the tunnel of flesh. To what those voices were, it seemed like my suspicions were right. The creature we were looking at wasn't like the others. This thing was bigger and much more menacing others. Olley was starting to already tense but it was a good thing that it didn't seem to notice us yet. The creature was long and slender. It's toros were as thin as a skinny human's yet it was at least 3 meters long. It's body had to hunch over just to fit the room. What made it even more chilling to me were it's long arms that seemed to stretch even further. The area where it's head was supposed to be was just a stump with mouths with no lips. Leon was slightly terrified because it kept calling out for help. It's thin legs squatting just barely trying to fit in. This one was considerably more dangerous now but something was off. There was somebody standing right next to it. A man wearing a lab coat was checking it with a stick. He had short gray hair and a fully coated beard. Was this the royal scientist?

Scientist: Looks like I'm not alone this time. They're probably part of that gang that's been trying to exterminate this work of art. No matter, extra variables to the research.

Arc: Who are you?! And stay away from that thing!

Scientist: You seem to be some kind of idiot to think I'd give away my name just like that. And how could you call this work of god a "thing"? It's evolution at its finest.

Olley: It's disgusting…

Scientist: Fools. Nothing but fools around me. No matter, you will all be part of my next experiment anyway. Take them like the others before them.

As he said this, the creature didn't even move. It seemed to mind it's own business. The scientist touched his beard while looking like he was thinking.

Scientist: How peculiar. I was sure that I had already succeeded in controlling them. I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way.

He produced a knife then proceeded to injure the creature's torso. Blood started to come out of it! The vermin started to shriek in pain, stunning us in our place. The scientist spared no time in the commotion to leave. Leon looked like he wanted to chase him down but the vermin was now flailing its arms around like some kind of wrecking ball! I managed to dodge its arms passing but we can't keep it up at this rate! It's moving too erratically for us to simply get out! I surged in power to manipulate my stone staff again to enlarge. WIth another surge, I shot the staff like a cannonball right into the center of its mass but it managed to dodge with its slim waist!

Leon: Any other brighter ideas! We can't dodge it's arms forever!

Olley: I got one!

Olley ran right towards it without hesitation. There was no way that I was going to stand idly by without giving an ounce of support. With a swift motion, I tapped her with one of my seals. She didn't skip a single beat as she jumped on the walls then onto the creatures back. Leon charged but got hit hard with one of the vermin's arms. However, this seemed to be exactly what he was hoping for. He managed to hold it's arm to prevent it from failing. Olley then took out her shock sticks then stabbed the creature inside of its mouth. It flailed even harder! I had enough of this. The structure of the sewers were going to break or something if I didn't do anything! One more time, I surged and dug deep. Beneath this flesh is still stone. I just need to feel it somewhere. It was like electricity finding its way to me because I could feel the connection touch me. With any moment's hesitation, I surged the flesh under me. A small crumble could be felt until suddenly a loud thud and crash came. A pillar had been produced from the side of the wall to crush the vermin on the side of the wall. It created a big splat though we wouldn't have noticed any blood because of the color of the sewers. Olley fell on the fleshy ground right before I produced the pillar to kill it. I came to her side. That was strange. I didn't think I could manipulate ground and stone through a surface like that.

Olley: Worried about me already? You're making me blush hehehe.

Arc: Shut it. I thought I nearly crushed you.

Olley: Well I did trust you. So I wasn't scared.

Arc: You never really are. Are you?

Leon: Would you two stop the flirting. We gotta catch that guy already.

Arc: Stop for a bit. What is this part of the map? It feels like we've been walking for hours now.

Olley: Maybe it's because we don't know the destination. That's why it feels longer than usual.

Leon: Like I said, I'm not quite sure beyond those pits.

Arc: If that's the case then there's a possibility that we're beyond the district walls. Those clothes he was wearing weren't the clothes you'd usually see in your districts.

Olley: That's true but he's just a scientist. Those kinds of people wear those kinds of things after all.

Arc: No, I think we're far beyond the barricade. We're under the neighboring district already.

Leon: Alright so what?

Arc: So what? It means that the infection didn't start from your district. It's source might not even be in this sewer. Your district could've just been the dumping sites.

Leon: That can't be! Why would those higher districts do these kinds of things anyway?

Arc: That's what I want to know. It doesn't seem right because that scientist seemed to know what he was doing. We have to go find him.

Olley: So people of the other districts did know that this was starting to be a problem.

Leon: How I understood things was that they were all dumping their shit in our backyard.

Arc: I'm afraid that might be the most accurate way to put it. They've been keeping it away from their districts as far as possible. Was that guy we saw the royal scientist?

Leon: No, the royal scientist looks completely different but he did look like one of those fellas with him. I saw in them papers that he'd usually have assistants with him.

Olley: What do we do now? Do we follow him into the depths?

Arc: I don't think that's a good idea. He probably thinks that we're chasing him as we speak. There could be traps or vermins now posted. I think it's best we report what we have back to the Don.

Leon: Guess so then. It's going to be a bit of a walk back.

The path going back was much faster now that we knew the directions we were going to. However, something uneasy was looming over us. Something that didn't seem right at all. As we approached the area from where we arrived, the ladder leading up to the man made hole was sealed! It didn't look like it was sealed naturally like someone who put a lid on it. It was sealed as if something was dropped on it.

Leon: Something doesn't feel right. Did we miss the spot?

Olley: Williams body is closeby. This is where we came from.

Arc: Something isn't right...