Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

755. Tempered Nefesh and The Wheels of War

“That laughing owl…” The Red Baron groaned. “You have it? They weren’t lying… they didn’t try to keep me on a leash. It was true. You can transform into a Corrupted…”

“Hasn’t it occurred to you that Frost is the reason why you got a power up?” Cer couldn’t fight her urge to laugh. She clutched onto her belly, laughing heartily at the Red Baron for not being able to string things together. “C’mon. I didn’t know Iscario hired idiots. I guess the only thing you’re good for is controlling serfs outside of the Nexus. Frost. Why not just kill him now?”

“I’ll do it later. Shouldn’t you be with Snap?” Frost reminded as she slit her hand open with a nail.

“Snap’s doing its own thing. Last time I checked, Snap was going ‘Bzzt. Brr.’ But not the happy buzzing kind. It seemed pretty down.”

“How come?”

“Snap likes to print out people’s happiest moments, yeah? Well, the thing is – how is that supposed to work for people that don’t even have one?” Cer seemed to understand Snap’s frustrations.

Droplets of blood crystalized into glyphs as they fell. Great, pale tablets rose from the ground and began to ooze identical symbols found across Frost’s body like scarlet snowflakes.

A ring of black particles glistened on the bodies that surrounded the immediate proximity of the Unlying Tablet. It healed their wounds much to the surprise of many, including the passing Caldera Industries personnel who had never seen a monolith capable of healing.

“Snap can’t find their happiest moments?” Frost softly spoke. She raised a hand to the air, and at once, she felt Snap’s body brush by as it searched to comfort whoever it could.

But it couldn’t.

Only those from the Bellum Empire could be comforted. The vast majority had no pleasant memories to draw from.

Nothing. Just…

… sadness.

//////// < ALERT > ////////

< I think I now understand what is happening to you Frost >

< The reason why your emotions are stable despite being in the First State >

Nav found something right as she felt something warm burst in her heart. Frost clutched onto her chest with one hand, and the other moved from head-to-head of the slug-people to offer them comfort.

The blood that trickled down her chest drew their innocent eyes as an overwhelming sense of prejudice overcame her. Judgement was all she could think of suddenly, as if she had just…

No, it was obvious what had happened.

Because she had chosen it.

< The First State has manifested as Judgement >

< Borrowing the Unique Skills of the Listening Bird >

Frost was given the choice of what Affinity to manifest for the First State. It was the first time she was ever given an option, and she immediately knew it was tied to how she handled her emotions.

Nav quickly confirmed this for her.

< You are Tempered to the First State >

< Unique Ability Gained >

< ABILITY: Tempered (First State) >

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< Nefesh >

< EFFECT: Emotional stability over the First State. You are not immune from Instability, however. Nex generated from the First State and lower may be internalized into usable Light >

< The process is not known to us however >

< But it could be automatic. That may explain the warmth in your chest >

< And this too >

A new stat appeared on Frost’s status page. It was Light. Thinking about it now, it was always weird how Frost never had a stat to quantify her Light. Not only that…

“… isn’t it too low?” She murmured.

< But you are the only person that has ‘Light’ as a stat, aside from the booked Red Avenger and the Alter Frost – the Taleor >

< It is possible that it has always been there. But more likely is that this is ‘usable’ Light >

“So how can I use it? Is it like Absolution? The fact that I can turn Nex into Light means I can use Absolution, right?”

Nav paused for a while before giving Frost an answer directly from Lailah and Michaela.

< You may require a Skill that uses this first, they believe >

< The Blessed are limited to what the Nexus decides after all >

< Although a lot of this is pure speculation >

< But this is a groundbreaking change. This would mean that Cer and those who are Tempered could technically create Light too, but in the temporary form of Absolution >

“But that begs the question of why it hasn’t happened yet.” Frost looked over at Cer. The woman pointed at her face, wondering what was up before she commented:

“Aren’t those strands of gold glowing a bit brighter now? Your hair is starting to resemble the night sky.”

“I wonder if there’s a criteria or a process behind it. Michaela could do it, but she doesn’t know the principle behind it, does she?”

< It is too similar to Arbitration, hence why it is confusing for a Star to understand it. Michaela never used Nex before, unlike the primordial ‘Her’ >

< Like all things, we will know in due course >

“Yeah. Time will tell.” Frost didn’t take her eyes of Cer, causing her to brush her buttoned shirt, wondering if there was something on her. “My hunch is that emotions are the driving force. But that was already obvious. Cer. Do you have an Ability called ‘Tempered’?”

“I do. Want me to read what it says?”

Frost nodded. What was revealed was the same thing that Frost had, only that it was missing three key things.

The first was that it did not have the flavor text of ‘Nefesh’.

Secondly, it did it mention anything about converting Nex into Light.

And lastly, Cer did not find any mention of the ‘States’.

It was only that she was considerably emotionally stable. To her, the Skill was written as [Tempered I].

“Wanna tell me why you look so disappointed?” Cer grumbled as Snap made its appearance.

Everyone had returned through the portal, barring 100 Caldera Industries Personnel including one Operational Conductor. The Hired Arm rode on Snap’s back, patting the spot just before her whilst staring at Cer.

“I suddenly don’t feel like going. Anyway – what’s up!?”

“I was just wondering if you could use Light. I have the same Ability, but our descriptions are different.”

“Probably because you’re so different from all of us, with all those fancy lights on your head. Alright! Are going to the north now or do you wanna keep talking to Nav!? Isn’t it time to start moving!?”

Cer hopped onto Snap’s back. But this time, she chose to sit at the very front.

“Are you so undisciplined that you cannot remember where you’re supposed to sit?” The Hired Arm spoke with a dignified voice.

“I won’t be Anna’s replacement, thank you very much. Tch. Is this how you feel when people don’t leave you alone, Frost?”

“You’re one to talk.” Frost sighed as she finished scattering as many Unlying Tablets as possible. “Give me a minute.”

Once done, she hopped onto Snap’s back.

“Snap. We’re heading north now. Drop us off as soon as things look dangerous.” She warned, rubbing its head affectionately.

With an affirmative buzz, Snap and thousands on the CognitO Receivers awaited Frost’s final order.

“My Beholders. My Stars. My Moons. My Exalted. My Blessed. My Ateliers. Can you all hear me?”

A unanimous call rang inside of her head. A normal person would have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of voices. But Frost could tell each and every single one of them apart, hearing various voices of hunger, confidence, bravery – and others of fear and ambiguity.

Finally, after a few deep breaths and with the gazes of her battle-eager companions on her –

“Prepare to advance.”

– The greased wheels of war finally began to turn.

And they’d finally take Frost straight to Iscario.