All Phin could do was watch as the terrifying scene unfolds. The transformed Fleurdrakon rampages against its chain shackles, repeatedly ramming into the cliff's jagged surface. Sinewy stamens jerk wildly, cascading out of the countless flowers on its body.
Willow cries out in agony as her shoulder is penetrated by a thin, fleshy appendage. More of its kind slither forward, clinging onto the Kusarigama chains. Willow lunges to the side, dodging a barrage of tendrils. But her movement shifts the angle of the chains - slightly, but enough.
Taking the opportunity, the Fleurdrakon bounds into the air. Feral shrieks pierce the air as it savagely wrestles against its bindings. More and more whip-like stamens pour out of its flowers, relentlessly raining down on the Botanists.
It's just like the attack from earlier, Phin realizes as he sidesteps a lethal blow. But in its new form, the Fleurdrakon has nearly unlimited stamens at its disposal. We need to finish it off - quick!
'Captain, we'll be your shield!' Multiple Botanists dart in, deploying shimmering barriers. Whenever a tendril collides with one, it flinches away with a sizzling hiss.
That must be a three-dimensional Ichor projection! I've never seen one up close, Phin stares in wonder. He ducks low and sprints, diving behind a shield just as another strike cracks against it, lighting the barrier with a pulse of blue.
'Shit! Be careful of the pollen!' a Botanist yells over the intercom. 'It bypasses our shields!'
True to his warning, a pungent yellow mist slowly seeps over the barrier's top.
Damn it - the beast's intelligent. It must have adapted to our shields by intentionally dipping its stamens into pollen. Phin's stomach tightens.
'Captain Shirasagi! Fall back, it's too dangerous!' Baukia shouts, ducking behind a pillar of stone.
'I only need - ' Willow's voice cuts off in a harsh cough, sending a jolt of panic through Phin. ' - ten more seconds!' She holds her ground, grappling the Kusarigama chains. The noxious pollen soon envelops her body in a shroud of haze. Unit 00 can only watch, frozen in horror, as their captain is swallowed by the cloud.
Meanwhile, the Fleurdrakon maintains its assault from afar, mercilessly bombarding the Botanists. Despite its offensive surge, it remains restrained by Willow's Kusarigama - with every passing second, the blade-tipped chains only seem to embed deeper.
Then, cutting through the chaos - a confident command, clear as day:
'Got it, Dietrich. Now!'
What? Phin's eyes dart to the Fleurdrakon, widened in shock.
A shadow descends behind the writhing monster. Drasil lands expertly on its back, hauling his tremendous Gunsword. Within seconds, he sinks its bladed side into the Flora, ripping out large chunks of flesh.
But it's no use... his attacks, no matter how powerful, are too shallow to reach the Fleurdrakon's core, Phin reasons.
His breath catches. Drasil spins the Gunsword in a blur, flipping it to reveal the gun side. Multiple barrels protrude asymmetrically from a thick, brutish base - a weapon designed not for visual appeal but for sheer destructive force.
Without hesitation, he jams the weapon into the raw, exposed wound - then slams his foot down on the hilt, driving it deeper.
I understand it now - the gun side isn't a typical ammunitions rifle but a shrapnel blaster. Nearly useless against Floral armor, but against exposed flesh, it's devastating.
Phin's eyes twinkle as he wipes soot from his cheek, heart racing.
Dietrich's already cleared a path into its soft underskin using the bladed side - now he can finish it.
With a mighty shockwave, the Fleurdrakon - in all its haunting elegance - explodes.
————————————————————————————————————
Amara whistles merrily as she boots up the computer. Data extraction is nearly complete - we can start the reprocessing! she notes, adjusting her oversize lab coat. The rest of her team had been temporarily relocated to urgent projects, so she is left alone in the laboratory.
It's an unusually heavy responsibility for a first-year, but I won't let them down. Everything I've learned under Dr. Bouttens has prepared me forthis. She smiles, her fingers click-clacking across the keyboard.
An unfamiliar voice coming from the doorway breaks her concentration. She swivels her chair around, facing the newcomer. 'Hello, how may I help you?' she cheerfully asks.
'You are Phin Ardelia's companion, correct?' the voice blandly states. It belongs to a young man of 20-ish, clad in a formal embroidered cloak. Long strands of white hair fall onto his shoulders, encasing a long, delicate face many would call handsome. His black eyes, however, burn ferally - a detail so contrastive it is unsettling.
Something about this man seems familiar - though I can't lay my finger onit, Amara ponders. Nevertheless, she answers truthfully. 'Yes, that's a formal way to put it. I've known him since childhood and recently was given the opportunity to guide his Appraiser training.'
The young man closes his eyes. In that moment, Amara realizes who he is.
That's Master Dexx Dynamus, the Fortress's Regal Appraiser! He's the youngest of the famed Dynamus lineage - all of whom had received the miraculous skill of Appraisal, despite it not being hereditary. An emblem of human miracle!
'What is he like?' Dexx asks, watching her closely, his face devoid of emotion.
'Phin? Oh, uh - ' she hesitates. 'He's very kind, though a bit shy. He also has a tendency to overanalyze, which I believe stems from how much he loves his studies.'
'Just as I expected.' Dexx brushes past her, eyes fixed on the table beside them. Complex arrangements of Floral labware glint under the soft UV lighting. After a momentary pause, he continues. 'His ability, the so-called Genetic Appraisal. What do you know about it?'
A part of Amara wants to feel at ease. Dexx's hushed, casual tone, paired with his striking features, should be disarming. However, a deep, persistent unease pervades her heart. He's being so direct... normally, only the most prestigious guests are permitted to speak with him. And this is the first time I've ever seen him physically leave his study.
'As a spectator, I'm not able to experience its full extent. But Phin - er, Mr. Ardelia - described something like a holographic panel displaying the Seed's data. It sounds almost otherworldly, but I trust his account.' Amara places a hand on her chest - a quiet gesture of confidence in her friend's ability.
Dexx grins, baring his teeth. 'I admire your trust, scientist. You must be proud of his accomplishments.'
Amara nods, her posture wavering slightly under Dexx's intense gaze. He's acting so strangely. I don't know what his questions are meant to insinuate, but the least I can do is answer honestly.
'Be so kind as to hand me that Seed, would you?' Dexx says, pointing to a nearby shelf.
'Yes, Master Dynamus,' Amara replies formally, addressing the renowned Appraiser by title. She reaches into the sleek metal concavity and retrieves a sky-blue Seed. This is the Seed of a Bogrund, a newly identified Flora. We haven't even determined its properties yet - what could he possibly want with it? she wonders.
Dexx patiently accepts the peanut-sized specimen in his hand. It felt familiar - he was the one who had identified it a week earlier.
My lineage has come too far to be stained by the impetuosity of commoner scum, Dexx thinks as he cradles the Seed. This divine gift of Appraisal is not meant for the unworthy. That alone is reason enough to surpass you... and crush you beneath my heel, Phin Ardelia.
A smile spreads across his face.
Deploy interface.
[Bogrund: Terramyces subductilis]
| → Potential: (+) 14.6%
| → Encoding: ⊞⌁◓◌⊙⊏⊐⊕◒⊎⊏⊐⊘⊬⊞◌⊙
| → Greed Skill: ⌈ DRILL SLAM | Standard ⌋
| → Greed Mastery: [N/A]