Normally, the Abyss Spawns have empty nests, as most of the creatures from the lower floors were wiped out during the War of the New World, which broke out shortly after the Abyss was discovered. They were either annihilated by creatures from the upper floors or by humans after the invention of firearms. Because of this, at the very least, the ruling queen is dead, if not all her offspring along with her.
The mere fact that the queen's nest remains alive after all this time shows that she is either strong enough not to have been killed or stealthy enough to deceive even the Abyss creatures. Neither option is ideal.
— So, what should I do? Could I at least bring a weapon? Though, I doubt a pistol would be effective in a mental battle.
A small laugh escaped from the lips of the tall woman, catching her off guard, revealing dimples on her cheeks.
— Ha! Good to see you've got an exotic sense of humor. There's no manual on this, but I'm sure it's the crazy ones who survive the synchronization the most. And by the looks of it, you're one of them.
Did she just call me crazy? Crazy? Coming from someone who not only survived synchronization but also went into the Abyss herself and lived to tell the tale?
— Well, I assume you've already said goodbye to anyone significant to you, right? Since you were waiting for the government's answer right here in the plaza, outside the department building. If not, you'd better do it now—it might be your last time seeing them.
A significant person? Good one.
— Please, follow me. We're going to the room where you'll get your chance to fight these damned beasts.
In silence, he nodded and started walking behind the intimidating woman. Her rank must have been quite high—not only did the soldiers bow to her, but even Lieutenants and Captains, people who had fought creatures of at least Lower Classification from the first and second floors, which were dangerous enough to easily crack concrete walls with sheer force. Some of these creatures even resisted shots from smaller calibers.
After passing through various areas of the police department, Buck was led to a room in the basement that seemed to have been used as a shooting range. Inside, there was only a medical bed and an IV bag where the targets should have been, near several bullet holes.
— This city doesn't have the full infrastructure to contain an Abyss Spawn, so I requisitioned the shooting range they used for target practice to be your temporary room. It might not be the house you wanted, but we've got a clean bed and a safe place for you.
— That's fine. I'm already surprised they're giving me a real mattress, raised off the floor. I haven't seen one of these since the first few weeks after the Great Abyss Rescue.
Buck dressed in a strange white garment that resembled a skirt. He didn't want to show it, but honestly, it hurt his masculinity a little. He imagined how everyone he knew would laugh at him if they saw him like this. Then he lay down on the bed.
— I just want one thing before anything.
The mysterious woman nodded, giving Buck her full attention.
— Don't let anyone else enter this room besides you. Not even the department head. My life in this city is on the line if that happens.
After all, I don't want anyone spreading rumors about me wearing a skirt or anything like that.
The figure, despite her confusion, agreed to the boy's request and then prepared a box beside his bed filled with strange locks.
Buck didn't recognize it, as it was his first time seeing one, but the box was an Abyss containment relic. Little is known about how such an advanced society fell into ruin, but its items were buried and even used as a type of religious totem by the creatures throughout the Abyss.
After removing all the locks, inside the box lay two items, preserved in a firm gelatinous substance that had been precisely cut to fit each relic. The most visually striking object was a small metal plate with a complex design. Though it was made of pure metal, it appeared fragile, yet heavy and highly decorated. Its outer part had several intricate pathways connecting every side of the piece, forming an indecipherable pattern for Buck.
Even though it caught his eye, the object that left him most uneasy was the gigantic syringe filled with an unsettling blood-red liquid, thick in texture. Before he could complain about the size of the injection, the military agent, as if she had forgotten something, suddenly shouted in surprise.
— Oh, right! I almost forgot something important; my brain is decaying with time.
A hearty laugh escaped her lips.
Something felt wrong. Buck didn't know what it was, but his entire body—especially his instincts—screamed at him to run, as if the worst was about to happen.
— Actually, I just remembered—I haven't said goodbye to the librarian who helped me with my books all this time. I think I should go before anything else.
But before he could get up, a colossal, strong hand grabbed his torso, squeezing the air out of his lungs and leaving him immobile.
— It's truly a pity, but maybe you'll survive, Abyss Spawn. This way, instead of saying goodbye, you could say you returned home safely—as a new person. Less monstrous, more human.
Before Buck realized it, his arms and legs were tied to the medical bed with thick ropes, burning his skin slightly as they tightened, causing him to let out a cry of agony.
Is this the end? Did they think I was so weak they wouldn't even give me a chance to fight the queen?
— Please, listen! I'm sure I can kill that creature. Just give me a chance. Even if I fail, you can easily kill me, right?
A confused look appeared on the powerful woman's face, which then turned into a malevolent, predatory smile.
— You got it all wrong, little brother of the Abyss. I'm still giving you your chance—I would never take that from one of us.
Buck, struggling against the ropes, reiterated with concern:
— Then why am I tied up?
— Because I don't want you fighting the vaccine, of course! Look, Buck, it's designed to make creatures like us human. It's a vaccine that leaves us powerless to our own opinions—and better yet, it gives us a higher chance of surviving synchronization. Isn't that wonderful?
Buck's face turned pale as he realized that the drug could turn him into an empty shell, devoid of feelings and desires, moldable at the whim of his captor.
The worst part for him wasn't the eternal control but the fact that he would forget everything about himself and his surroundings, including the stories he had read and heard. All that would remain were the fragments they deemed necessary for a good soldier.
— No, please, not that. Anything but that. It's all I ask-
He found himself in a dire situation, like a creature trapped in a cage with its natural predator, hoping for a clean, quick death but instead being devoured vigorously.
As he struggled against the ropes and the hand pressing the air out of his lungs, a swift and precise injection pierced his neck, delivering the metallic red liquid into his system.
From that moment on, he was no longer the boy he once was. He had become just another hollowed creature, deeply sedated. His world crumbled, and with it, his vision and dreams were swept away in a flood of forgotten memories and passions that had once belonged to him.
His eyes rolled back, offering one last glimpse at the memories that would soon be lost. His entire life flashed before his eyes, as if in that moment, his true self had died. No family, no friends, no one to hold him as the cold arms of death embraced him.
With a final, desperate scream that sent the titan's hand flying upward, he awoke as a new being, almost like a newborn, though with just enough innate survival instincts. The first thing he saw now etched into his memory was a police shooting target poster shaped like a deer, with two bullet holes in its head and dozens that had torn through where its heart should have been.
His eyes stared at the deer for hours until his screaming stopped, and he began to rest. His composure was shattered into countless pieces that would never fit together again, leaving him in a trance, awaiting a reaction from his environment. Searching for a purpose.
A tall, old but graceful woman finally returned to his room, checking if he was ready for her to enjoy herself. She was now without her overcoat, revealing a buttoned-up dress shirt made of glossy black leather, from a creature of the Abyss.
— And now, Soldier one zero one, who are you?
— Piece.
— What do you feel toward humankind?
— Hate.
A punch hard enough to break his cheekbone connected instantly with his face.
— What do you feel toward humans?
— Submission.
— What would you give your life for, if necessary?
— Orders.
— And like a good boy, you will receive orders only from the federation, never from the Abyss creatures, little brother. Now, repeat after me.
— ...Orders.
— Immutable.
— ...Submission.
— Duty.
— ...Piece.
— Myself.