This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

Chapter 226 43.2 Branching Paths?

SHEN

???

Vermes was something that Shen still hadn't really gotten a good grasp of. Sure, they've already fought against that one tentacled monster back on the Island Sanctuary, but that was more of a massive offshoot than anything. So here she was, trailing behind Shizu as the older woman led her towards this one job that Moriya let them choose to do.

Well, Shizu was more of the one that chose to do this, but she really wanted to get into a fight anyway.

"Are we there yet?" she asked her figurative older sister, her [Fixit] already cradled in her hands as she prepared herself. "Where are we goin anyway?"

"Unfortunately, not yet," Shizu shrugged. "And no, I don't really know where we're headed. I'm just following this piece of paper Moriya gave to us."

Shen frowned at that. She really didn't like knowing where she was going, not after that horrible experience she got while going through that creepy mansion just a few days ago. She thought she was a brave young woman back then, only for her confidence to get thoroughly shattered just by going through that dark and scary place... No more...

She refused to let herself get ruled by stupid fear.

"Come on then! Let's go!" Shen confidently cheered, puffing up her chest as she walked ahead of Shizu. "I wanna kill this thing so we can have more Chips to spend!"

"I thought you were being responsible about that sort of stuff," Shizu pointed out with a raised brow.

"I just think we have ta spend a bit less, is all," Shen huffed out with a smirk. "Ya were just too greedy back in Port Decima. And besides, ya can't spend much if ya know ya don't have that much money on ya."

Or at least, that was what Shen hoped would happen. From what she could glance from the paper Shizu was holding, the reward they'd get from killing this thing would be around one Chip. Maybe she was wrong, what with her reading skills still developing, but that was rather small when compared to the allowance they got from Moriya last time.

"That's true," Shizu chuckled. "Still, I'll have to insist that I wasn't that bad... Was I?"

Shen narrowed her eyes. "Ya were, Shizu. You were practically spending a Chip per stall."

And the subsequent reactions they got with each purchase almost made her street rat instincts ring up in alarm. Why, if she was an enterprising thief, they would've been prime targets with how careless Shizu seemed to look during her shopping spree. Not that it would even happen. Shen would never let that happen.

"I... I wasn't!" Shizu weakly defended herself, much to Shen's slight amusement. "I was just... Okay, fine. Maybe I was."

"And that's all that matters," Shen puffed up her chest in smug victory. "That's one thing I'm better at than you somehow."

"Don't count on it happening again, Shen," Shizu chuckled. "I learn pretty fast, you know?"

Shen was about to rebut the princess's words with her own when she felt Shizu's hand at the top of her hat. The headgear was muffling the sensation of her fingers through her hair, but it was still soothing all the same.

"S-Stop that..." Shen mumbled out in protest. "A-At least let me take off ma hat..."

"I have to take advantage of this somehow," Shizu giggled, intensifying her efforts in giving her headpats. "I'm sure you'll get your growth spurt soon, and who knows how tall or large you'll get."

"S-Shizu... We're in public..."

Thankfully, her weak whispers seemed to have done the trick as the princess finally released her from her warm clutches. Taking a small breath, Shen placed a hand on her pitiful chest, doing her best not to remain hopeful as she let herself trail behind the older woman once more.

Ever since she had been... recruited, was the word, she was constantly reminded of the fact that she still had the body of her nine-year-old self. Sure, she acted like it for her own benefit, but these days, she was starting to feel more and more like the teenager that she truly was. Even her efforts of minimizing her gutter accent were starting to bear fruit. Well, as much as she hoped it was doing so in the first place. She had barely started burning through her book about mechanical engineering when all of the crazy stuff started happening.

"Huh, where is this thing?"

Looking up, Shen blew out a breath as she heard Shizu voice out her frustrations. They'd been walking in a straight line for what felt like hours now, and they were currently well into the city outskirts with all of the trees and nature starting to encroach again.

"Havin trouble?" Shen scoffed. "Want me ta help?"

"Nah, I can handle this," Shizu smiled at her, the princess's eyes saying otherwise before turning back to the paper. "I just have to find this one landmark somewhere out here. Or maybe we can find this Vermes thing before we even get there."

"I can only hope so," she shrugged, her palms starting to get restless from the lack of promised action. "I'm kinda getting bored here."

"I'd say the same for myself," Shizu sighed. "It's just that this thing is so hard to read at times. Moriya's handwriting is just straight bad in some parts too."

Shen blinked at that revelation. She could only thank the Gods that it was Shizu that primarily took on the task of teaching her how to write.

"What're we looking for anyway?" Shen couldn't help but ask.

"It says here that we're looking for some kind of small Vermes stalking the borders of Centrax," Shizu read aloud, her eyes squinting as she spoke. "It also says that its usual hunting grounds are around what few farmlands there are around here, so most likely, it'll be around here somewhere."

Shen shrugged as she looked around. Sure enough, the outside borders of Centrax might as well be a completely different nation when compared to the city. As opposed to the tall skyscrapers and paved roads, the familiar feeling of dirt and damp grass tickled her ankles. There was also some wildlife running around, but none of them even dared to try and attack them.

[*rrroorahusgas*]

"Shizu," Shen quickly whispered aloud. Her ears perked up at the unnatural sound, and it looked as if Shizu's did as well. "I hear something."

"That might be it," the princess nodded. "Let's go low and follow it."

Crouching down, Shen followed the older woman's lead as they trailed through the tall grass, masking their presence as the low grumbling they heard grew louder and louder.

[*RRROOashfaUISF*]

Peeking her head out, Shen was quick to spot their quarry. With its tentacles undulating about, this Vermes thing looked nothing like the monstrosity they fought back on that Island. For one, it was significantly smaller, reaching only up to around twice Moriya's height even with its tentacles stretched out. Its main body was spherical in nature, and its black skin seemed to be caking up in places, more like it was dehydrated somehow.

"It looks... wrong somehow," Shen pointed out.

"Well, from what I recall, these things should be in the Deep," Shizu replied with her own hypothesis. "The fact that it's this far inland is kind of already abnormal."

Moving forward, Shen watched as Shizu approached, the creature still looking unaware as the princess sneaked up on it. Likewise, Shen did the same, her [Manifest] already humming with power as she prepared her offensive [Move].

Surely, her [Bonk] would do the damage she hoped it would. She might not be able to copy Lady Guidance or Shizu, but she still had her strength to rely on.

Watching Shizu, the princess gave her a nod, a signal of some sort before they jumped out of the tall grass. Fists and wrench respectively glowed with power, the former being significantly more powerful than the latter.

"[Bonk]!"

"[HEAT ACTION]!"

Shen's move connected first, her [Fixit]'s reach somehow doubling as she swung her wrench right at the Vermes's main body. The damage was superficial, however, having only knocked the creature away towards Shizu's waiting arms.

[*ROROOAAAGHGH!!!*]

[*SQUELCH!*]

A resounding shockwave soon followed, Shizu's [Move] connecting with such force that it almost knocked Shen down on the ground. The uppercut was devastating, the Vermes exploding into a shower of guts and liquid just as Shizu shook the goop off her hand.

"Eww!" Shizu cried out. "It's so sticky!"

Shen didn't budge, her attention still on what little remained of the Vermes's carcass. Somehow, she had a feeling that there was something different about it. That it was even more unnatural than they thought...

That somehow, there was something in it that she could fix.

"I guess that's that," Shizu chuckled, walking towards the corpse as she kept on wiping away the goop. "Just have to get some evidence that we killed it and be on our way."

...

....

"Shen? What're you doing?"

Instead of replying, the mechanic found herself elbow-deep into the carcass, her hands digging through the thing's innards as her fixing senses gave her something to follow. Eventually, her search came up with something that was both illogical and highly disturbing.

"Shizu, I think we have that lead thing ya guys were talking about," Shen declared, holding up what was clearly a mechanical device in her hands. "I don't think this is natural, yeah?"

?????????