'The Corrupted is... Gone?'
Frowning in confusion, Ester tilted his head towards the pipes carrying the echoes of people all over the building.
It was a mixture of random chatter that was a slog to make out and understand, but despite it all, Ester could still make out a few words here and there.
'It's really gone.'
Listening to the indistinct chatter carrying the voices through the open pipes, Ester pieced together the story.
It seemed that in the time that he and Eva were trapped in a safe room saving Velux's older brother, the Beforetimes had fended off the Corrupted with weapons that the entirety of Junk Bunk only heard rumors about.
It was the reason why there was so much chatter in the pipelines that were previously inhabited only by the sound of water drops.
And the source? Most likely the wardens guarding this planet sized prison.
Can't call it a prison if everyone is dead.
Some might argue that it was a fitting end for criminals, but besides the ramifications of having a planet full of Corrupted being fed with new life every so often, criminals were tossed here for the express purpose of lifetime imprisonment, not execution.
And considering how the Maginum Kingdom wouldn't let the Beforetimes get as big as they are now without having a safeguard of some kind around their necks, it was just another reason to avoid those mechaphiles.
'But I'm confused.'
During the escape from the big boss man cohabiting within a man unfortunately chosen to be a relay point followed swiftly by the escape from a bat monster and some emergency surgery, Ester didn't exactly have the mental bandwidth to think about things.
But now that it was all over and he now had the knowledge that the Corrupted had been kicked out of Junk Bunk, Ester had a singular question.
'Why did I receive that vision?'
Thinking back to the theory he created regarding his ability and how it only activated during dangerous situations regarding himself, with the Corrupted gone from Junk Bunk without a single threat done to his life, it harshly contradicted the theory he crafted within his mind.
'I would understand if the danger happened soon after like it had every other time but it didn't.'
In fact, a bat monster that rendered him temporarily unconscious came before the Corrupted did, rendering that aspect of his theory a moot point.
'Maybe if I went down more floors instead of saving his big bro...' Ester shook his head. 'No that doesn't even make sense.'
Even if he stretched it, Ester didn't even get to see the corner of the Corrupted's tendril hairs before it was fended off by the Mechaphiles.
'So maybe the theory about it a sort of danger sense is wrong and I wasn't approaching it the right way in the first place...'
Now that he thought about it, how did his dream play into the ability that was a lot more complicated than it seemed?
And why has it chosen to start activating more actively now instead of all the times before?
'Architects this is complicated.'
Ester roughly tussled the top of his head, irritation bubbling from within.
'If only I could activate it on purpose I could understand it better.'
Mulling on the ability that should probably be renamed to something more apt once he found out more about it, Velux rounded the corner with Eva, dragging over a large box alongside his big bro in literal tow.
Identifying the large box as the alcohol distiller that was Eva's payment for finding Velux's big bro, Ester pushed his complicated thoughts aside and moved to lend a hand.
He could ignore puzzling out the ability for now, he only had the rest of his life after all.
Whether that rest of his life was a short one or a long one is to be seen however.
---
Closing the hatch that allowed the Alcohol Distiller to be brought into the Driller missing the drill, Ester eyed the boy approaching him with his big bro in tow.
"Can we talk in somewhere quiet?" Velux started before Ester could say anything, glancing back at the numerous eyes flickering their way.
Raising an eyebrow at the abrupt request, Ester eyed the legless and tongueless form of Velux's big bro followed up by Velux's comparatively small figure before nodding his head.
"Lead the way."
"Cool."
Wheeling his big bro atop a wheelchair with mismatched wheels behind the Drill-less driller, Ester placed his one hand against his hip.
"So what did you want to say?"
"It's about your payment."
Ester paused before letting out a chuckle.
"Oh if it's that then you don't need to pay me, I learnt a lot from testing out the old man's theory on your big bro's body."
"Testing...?" Eyes trembling at the word, Velux hurriedly shook his head.
"No, you still saved my big bro so I have to give this to you."
Velux's big bro pulled out a package and unwrapped it for Ester to see.
And when he did, he widened his eyes.
"Celesteel...?"
"Yes."
Nodding his head, Velux took the chunk of Celesteel from his big bro's hand, handing the package over to Ester.
Taking it instinctively, Ester blinked in confusion.
'What? How in the void...?
Sensing his confusion, Velux's big bro lifted his shirt to reveal a metal nodule embedded into his flesh, held tightly in place with hair sourced from Velux's head.
Pointing at this very nodule embedded into his flesh, Ester looked in confusion.
"Is there... Is there a problem with the pneumatics in the lung pump that I need to fix? They might've been used for arm joints but they should still be functional enough to pump lungs..."
He shook his head before pointing at the Celesteel in Ester's hand before pointing at his chest, this time making sure to outline the portion of his chest most densely covered in black hair that stood in stark contrast to his ghoulish white skin.
"...I see."
Noting that it was related to the Corruption that nearly took over his body, Ester had a complex look in his eyes as he pocketed the large chunk of Celesteel.
"If there's nothing else..." Ester gestured towards the Driller. "I think me and Eva are going to take our leave."
"Aren't you curious about how we got Celesteel?"
"Yes."
"Then-!"
"No."
Stopping Velux before he could continue, Ester glanced at Velux's big bro before locking eyes with Velux himself.
"Before you say anything, just no."
"But I didn't even get-"
"Knowing to much is also poison." Ester interrupted Velux again, a bitter look flashing through his eyes. "I would know."
Sensing something from his words, Velux fell silent as he watched Ester enter the Driller.
Staring at the Driller even as the heirs of the Gravesmith started up the machine and left his sight, Velux continued to stand in place, mulling about the words Ester had left behind.
It was to the point that a few cloaked figures who thought that a kid and crippled man were easy prey moved to extort them.
At least until the Crippled man's gaze flashed as his hand flickered, every single of the cloaked figures crumpling to the ground with metal rods embedded into their foreheads, unaware of what had just happened.
Seeing this, the rest of the inhabitants of Junk Bunk hurriedly averted their gazes, expanding the distance between them and the crippled man suddenly holding several metal needles at some point.
And as if unaware of the murder that had just happened two meters away from him, Velux muttered.
"Knowing to much is also poison huh?"
Opening his eyes and finally noticing the bodies on the ground, Velux gave a cursory glance before pushing the wheelchair carrying his big bro away.
"I wonder how mom would take that?"
---
25 DAYS SINCE PROJECT VOID BUFFER FIRST FIRED ITS FLAMES
13 DAYS SINCE PROJECT VOID BUFFER FIRED ITS FLAMES THE SECOND TIME
13 DAYS SINCE THE CORRUPTED OF C-POINT BEGAN 'HER' HUNT
+++
Microsoft chose to update my computer at the most inconvenient time.
500 words just went poof.
It also somehow made my computer jump from 20% to 5% in a second (How does that even happen?)
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