Dusty Journal

"I can't sleep yet, I still have work to do..."

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Dusty Journal are a category of Lore entries consisting of text side-stories. They can be read by accessing the Elmo Cloud Server Room, then the Remastered Records menu.

Reunion Replay

Journal Entry 1

Level II access in progress... Confirmed
Identity verification... Recognizing name... appr&{b=s;}!... Approved
Welcome!
Recording mode... Activated
Storage path... reassigned... local... Confirmed

Finally fixed this busted Level II access device... it barely works, but it's something.

I get irritated just thinking about that face of hers, and then the equipment will inexplicably malfunction, which causes the scenario simulation to fail constantly... Damn it! Damn you, Peritya! I really shouldn't have trusted her back then! Ugh, cough! The scenario simulation is to be prepared in the event that I find her. Don't—don't break again... Phew! When I find her... Yeah, once I find her, no matter what, I'm going to give her a good beating, so that she understands what it's like to be abandoned—correction, so that she understands my anger.

Scenario simulation... Start
Simulation record number... 3
Simulation environment... Local import... Purification Zone W_2067_3342... Environment confirmed
Avatar generation... Confirmed

Peritya stands quietly in a somewhat spacious clearing amidst the ruins. There are some broken walls and stones scattered about to serve as cover, and the terrain is similar to the setup used in the arena. In her hand is the gun from the days of the arena that I know all too well. I draw my blade and assume my usual starting stance. I reckon she won't just sit nicely and take a beating. Her gun isn't as weak as she is... Hmph, but I know exactly how she will make her move. Her expression is a bit blurry, but I guess it's probably her usual light and gentle smile.
I lower my body slightly and use the force of the launch to quickly close the distance with her. Just as I expected, her bullets mercilessly target my weak spots.
I drive the blade into the ground and use it to twist my body and change direction. The few bullets I can't dodge glance off the armor on my shoulder. I duck behind some nearby rocks and start thinking about my next move.
To get close to her, I need to break through the dense rain of bullets... there'll be a moment when the bullets run out, even if it's a machine gun. If I can't dodge them all, I'll just have to take the hits.
I jump as high as I can, twist my body in the air, and utilize the rotational speed to help deflect the bullets that do hit my armor. This may damage my armor a bit, but it will also waste her ammo. When she has to stop shooting to reload, I close the distance in one go—
My blade is aimed at the gap of her body under her chin.

Huh? Wait a second, maybe winning with speed and dodging her bullets would be better? That way, I can keep my armor intact, even if I miss my strike... Let's try again!
I duck behind some nearby rocks. This time, I step on the rocks and don't go straight for her. Instead, I use the momentum and dash to another cover. Turn, gain my footing, go prone, jump, and accelerate—
The machine gun bullets leave marks on the ground behind me. I just need to be faster than her reaction time—

Hmm... that didn't seem to work all that well. The amount of control needed to precisely do all of that movement is too difficult... Is there another way...
Let's try something else!
...

—Huh? Wait a minute! I seem to have forgotten that I'm not simulating a battle... Right! I was... was supposed to be formulating a response, uh, strategy for after finding her! Damn... I unconsciously started thinking about battle strategies...
Yes, I'm very familiar with her tactics. Although she knows mine just as well, I haven't been idly doing nothing all this time.
I've been through a lot... a lot of battles I could never imagine! She might have been stronger in the arena, but now, as long as I find her, I-I will—

But what if... she also got stronger...? Like, maybe she got some upgrades or something—Ugh! How shameless! If that's the case—if—!
Damn it, how shameless! If I have to beat her up—

A blaring alarm sounds in my ears. Everything goes dark.
It feels like something just broke next to me... No way, did I break the equipment again—?! ...Ugh! It's all Peritya's fault!

Equipment damaged... Forced exit... Confirmed
Environment shutdown... Complete
Simulation record saved... Backup info enabled... Successful
Recording mode... Closed... Complete.

Journal Entry 2

Accessing Level II... Confirmed
Authentication... Recognizing name... apjy&vh=s... Approved
Welcome!
Recording mode... Activated
Storage path... Reassigned... Local... Confirmed

Ugh... I finally managed to get a supply box out of the PMC warehouse, but it only had a device for accessing Level II in it. For just this lousy piece of equipment, I had to spend half the day running away from a security Doll. Was this really worth it? It even ate up a lot of my power... Tsk!

But with this, perhaps I could find out... how she would respond?
The answer to that question...

Scenario simulation... Start
Simulation record number... 97
Simulation environment... Local import... #{a=Missinn; Satellite City... Scene confirmed
Avatar generation... Confirmed

I'm hiding in the shadow behind a wall.

A little while ago, In order to "obtain" some supplies, I tried to get into the supply warehouse at a PMC base, setting off an alarm. Now, I'm trying to hide from their armed security Dolls.

"Hmm, so you're here?"

A figure appeared silently next to me. Startled, I knocked over the supply box next to me, and several PMC security dolls came over after hearing the commotion.
Tsk! I just wanted to grab something, but I failed. Did that warrant all this fuss?
I drew my blade. It was not difficult to take down a bunch of inexperienced gun-wielding Dolls. However, the one who first spotted me made no moves.
Seems like I was right——

After taking down the last useless security Doll, I did not sheathe my blade, but instead charged at that person. They skillfully blocked my attack, then jumped back to create distance. Still, my weapon had already knocked off their face shield, revealing those familiar, ridiculous cat ears and that face I so despise——

"As expected of you, Krolik. Even though your body is already falling apart, you haven't gotten any weaker." She clapped her hands sincerely.
"And you haven't gotten much stronger—" I hear myself say through gritted teeth, "—Peritya!"
I rushed over and grabbed her by the collar.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?!"
"Oh, you've been looking for me?" She seemed genuinely surprised. "But why?"
It was this sincere surprise that made me furious— from back then till now, I've been the one who was troubled with that question, while she never cared at all.
"You ask me—why? Hah—of course—of course I want to ask you why. Why did you just disappear without a word?!"
She had that infuriating puzzled look again.
"That's your question?" She tilted her head slightly, and I could feel her silky white hair gently brushing against my hand.
"Well, Krolik, it's because, you're just too weak."
She had a look on her face as if she was pointing out the obvious.
"Given the situation back then, there was no way we could've escaped with you."
Peritya calmly wrenched her collar out of my hand.
"Oh, by the way, I didn't expect you to actually survive." She gently patted my shoulders, "That's really something—"
Her somewhat cheerful words were abruptly cut off as I dropped my blade, clenched my fist, and punched her in the cheeks.

Her pretty face got twisted and messed up. I sat on her and pinned her down, strangling her neck, my fists landing on her face over and over.

Even though I had already guessed her answer, hearing it from her own mouth was——

"—I knew it, I still can't forgive you."

"Just because—" Her lame reason made me face our pursuers alone.

"I was—I—" I really trusted you.

She didn't respond or resist.
But no matter how hard I hit her, that annoying smile never left her face.
...Tsk!

Even her virtual avatar is so irritating! Why?! Never mind!

Scene closed... Complete
Simulation record saved... Success
Recording mode... Closed... Complete.

Journal Entry 3

Accessing Level II... Confirmed
Authentication... Recognizing name... Krolik... Approved
Welcome!
Recording mode... Activated
Storage path... Reassigned... Local... Confirmed

I've been staying on this MBV for a while now, going through each day trading my labor for supplies. Compared to wandering alone in the contamination zones, this kind of life is indeed easier—maybe a little too easy?
Still, that person named 'Commander' is pretty nice.
Considering the above, staying here isn't too bad of a choice... No, hmph, I'm just waiting here to get the necessary clues I need!

The place we went to today was called... an underground channel? I had no clue the contamination zones hosted these kinds of places...
They are quite rare.
Has she been here before?

Scenario simulation... Start
Simulation record number... 316
Simulation environment... Local import... Contamination zone coordinates TA25SX-KI7LCY... Scene confirmed
Avatar generation... Confirmed

The MBV drove into an underground channel in the afternoon. The Commander planned to meet with a familiar underground broker here to replenish our necessary supplies.

When I was assigned to guard the supplies, I thought I saw a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye.
Even though that person had already put on their hood by the time I looked at them, I couldn't shake the feeling that I saw a pair of rather suspicious cat ears under that hood. I sprang up, abandoned the supplies, and chased after them right away.
That person seemed to realize what was happening and quickened their pace, slipping into a nearby alley. It was an underground channel built on the ruins of an abandoned residential area, that which the ruins of walls and houses made the environment difficult to navigate. I almost lost her several times, but I followed my intuition, and I finally caught up with her.

I grabbed the scarf she was using to cover her face and pinned her against the corner of the wall.
The hood slipped off her head, and the scarf dropped to the ground.
A pair of gentle, moist eyes stared at me.
"Long time no see, Krolik." The person I had pinned against the wall spoke calmly.
"—Why did you run?"
Her gentle tone made me furious.
"Huh? If someone is chasing you, by instinct you would—"
"I'm asking why you left me to fend for myself and ran off?! Do you have any idea how many hostiles surrounded me?!"
There was a moment of silence, with only my somewhat heavy breathing being heard. Weirdly enough, I wasn't really as angry as I seemed.
"You want to know why?"
My blade was against her chin, one of the weak points of her body.
"Cut the crap."
Peritya pushed my blade away, placed her hands on my shoulders, and created some distance between us.

"Because I couldn't do it."

"—What?"
It was an answer I never expected.
"Back then, you couldn't move, and I was not strong enough to... get us both out safely. I have... something I need to do."
Her eyes seemed to flash for a moment, followed by a long silence.
I never thought that someone as strong as Peritya would have something she couldn't do.

"Sorry, Krolik."
Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I stared at her lips for a moment before realizing what she had said. Now, she didn't seem as tall and mighty as I remembered, and her clothes were all tattered.
"You too..."
"Hmm?"
I took two steps back, took off the rabbit ears I had been wearing, and threw them at her.
"You're nothing special. I thought... you'd recognize me right away, but... never mind."
I turned around, away from her face.
"I... met a rather decent human recently, so I'm doing fine... That human should be also able to keep you alive, so you should come with... Tsk!"

She... She felt that way... about the decision she made back then?! How could that be possible? She wouldn't—
Would she...?

Scene closed... Complete
Simulation record saved... Success
Recording mode... Closed... Complete.

Journal Entry 4

Accessing Level II... Confirmed
Authentication... Recognizing name... Krolik... Approved
Welcome!
Recording mode... Activated
Storage path... Reassigned... Local... Confirmed

"That Boojum we ran into before was so scary... Krolik nearly... I–If we ran into that again..."
Faced with Mayling's sudden and inexplicable worry, I recalled how I felt when I once faced that ugly thing—
Though I hate to admit it, that ugly thing was indeed really scary.
But—if she was here, with her capabilities...

Scenario simulation... Start
Simulation record number... 407
Simulation environment... Local import... Expanded scene "Laboratory"... Scene confirmed
Avatar generation... Confirmed

The mission is to investigate and search through an underground lab in the contamination zones.
The dim lights in the room flickered on and off. I followed Groza, walking past instruments of unknown purpose and transparent culture tanks of various shapes.
A cylindrical culture tank in the corner of the room caught my eye. I slowed down, then came to a stop. Groza didn't seem to notice and kept walking onwards, eventually leaving the room.

There was some blob in the tank that looked like a Doll, but strange tumors and limbs grew all over its body, kind of like that, um, Boo-something, as if it was a fusion of various organisms.

I approached the tank slowly. The upper half of the Doll's face was covered with slightly trembling, disgusting lumps of flesh, rendering it unrecognizable. But atop that head that still had some milky white hair, I saw half a worn-out cat ear—

"Peritya!!"

I slammed hard on the tank, and the person inside seemed to hear it. The eyeless face turned towards me.
"Who...?"
The voice coming from the tank was a bit distorted, or maybe the scene was just too bizarre, making it feel all too unreal.
"That voice... Krolik?"
I snapped out of my shock.
"Ah, yeah... it's me."
The lower half of her face, which was all I could see, showed a smile I knew all too well.
"You found me."
"...Uh, yeah, I finally found you—but how did you—"
The creature in the tank seemed to chuckle, and might have even tilted her head. She showed me a gentle expression.
"Oh wow, you're still alive, that's great."
"How dare you say that—!" I banged on the tank again, causing the murky liquid inside to sway.
"Why—why did you—run away first back then—"
"Why? Oh. That affected you this much?"
"I–I'm not–Ugh! Just tell me!" I tried to hit her, but my fists could only touch the cold body of the culture tank.
The only remaining good-looking corner of her mouth curved into a joyful smile.
"Is that so? Then—you'll live on with that question on your mind forever. Isn't that nice?"
"What—?"
The device on the culture tank sounded an alarm, and Peritya's already weak voice grew fainter—

"As you can see, I'm about to disappear. Krolik, you better exist a little while longer."
"If I can't stay, your neural cloud..."

The chunk of flesh stopped trembling, and she was silent.
"—What—you bastard—what are you up to?!" I pounded the culture tank in vain. A crack appeared on the wall of the tank, and the fluid within began to leak out.

Peritya did not respond.
"What's wrong with my neural cloud? You—you better finish your sentence!"
I raised my hand high to smack her in the face, but in the end, I stopped my futile actions and simply leaned against the tank.

"...Damn it! You never, ever explain things properly!"

...No.
She was so strong, how could ever she have ended up like this?

Scene closed... Complete
Simulation record saved... Success
Recording mode... Closed... Complete.

Journal Entry 5

Accessing Level II... Confirmed
Authentication... Recognizing name... Krolik... Approved
Welcome!
Recording mode... Activated
Storage path... Reassigned... Local... Confirmed

Ah... I feel like I've gotten used to life in the MBV. Even though things keep happening, it still feels quite... peaceful?
What if... she was here...

Scenario simulation... Start
Simulation record number... 726
Simulation environment... Local import... "MBV"... Scene confirmed
Avatar generation... Confirmed

I stepped out of the dorm room after my rest.
Peritya came to me in the corridor.
"Morning, Krolik."
She greeted me in a lively manner.
"Ah, morning... mm, ahem."
I instinctively adjusted myself.
"Morning, Peritya."

We ran into Peritya during a recent mission in the contamination zone. After finding out that she used to be a companion of mine, the Commander agreed to let her join us.
Since then, the MBV has been running missions as usual, but for some reason, I'm still not used to seeing her and saying hi to her every day.
I haven't found a chance to interrogate her on why she left me to die in the enemy's nest.

"Ah—right. About tonight, um... how about we do some training together? I want to practice coordinating my body whilst under acceleration."
"Sure thing."
She didn't feel awkward about it at all... Damn it!

We chatted about random things as we walked towards the ops room. Before we went in, she called out to me.
"Hold on, Krolik."
"Huh?"
She came closer, looking serious.
"Your accuracy was lower than mine yesterday. Be careful during the mission later, don't slow me down, okay?"
The sound of the door sliding open was heard.
"Let's go in."
...Ah! Damn it!

After that, we went on a simple mission to eliminate some ELIDs together. Even though it was simple, Peritya still sustained a few minor injuries. Tsk! She told me not to hold her back, but she was the one who got hurt instead.
She still had to rely on me.
Although my overall win rate isn't as good as hers, I'm a lot stronger than I was back then, right?

Finally living out a peaceful life has made me feel... um, a little happier? Yeah. Happier.

After training, we headed to the dorm together and parted ways at her door.
She walked into her room and smiled at me, "See you tomorrow, Krolik."
It was just a normal goodbye, but for some reason, I felt kind of strange.
"Oh, okay."
The door closed.
I stood in the hallway, carefully looking around—

The number on the door is wrong.
The layout around here is off too.
This sliding door-—

...Is this the ops room?
Wait a second, is this a simulation or—

"This is real..."
How could it be—I was in the middle of a scenario simulation... s–sleepwalking?! Wait, wait, wait! This is ridiculous! It must be because... Yes! It must be because I was on a mission with Nemesis yesterday and she kept talking nonsense and I had to translate it. That's why I did such a crazy thing today!

I quickly left the scene before the ops room door showed any signs of opening.
Why on earth am I doing... doing something so embarrassing! I was running scenario simulations to prepare for the day I reunited with her, to defeat her fairly, then question her—

So what am I thinking of right now?

What will I do when we meet again? Do I want her to die? Or live on?
—Do I even need to think about this now?

...What's the point me simulating all this... It's completely useless!

Deleting records... Complete
Returning result count... 0

Local records... Closed.