5. East Rim

S-s-so c-c-cold...

Wait a second. I'm almost done digging.

How long do we have to wait? It's freezing here!

Take my coat. There.

Your coat stinks.

You don't want to wear it?

I didn't say that.

So, here you go... Rayna?

Rayna? Where are you? Aren't you cold? Rayna!

Hah... Hah... It was a dream...

Rayna...

Hey, hey! Droopy thing over there.

Are you talking to me?

Who else? You must be the new recruit.

Ah... Okay...

Are you very stressed? I can see the black clouds hanging above your head...

First, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm your next officer. The name's Stara. Nice to meet you. Let's get to training!

Is this... a book shop?

Book shop? Hardly... We are in the Eastrise Archives.

It's so quiet... and it smells nice too.

That's the bookworm repellent. Cool, huh? Whenever I'm feeling down, I like to come here and sit.

Even if it's just the VR version...

Not the Training Center again! But why run a simulation of a library? It looks nothing like a battlefield!

Well, I'll keep it short. This Archive is a huge collection of ancient and modern documents from different places, and serves as the supporting pillar of Eastrise. Of course, this is just a simulation of the place.

Wow, that's powerful!... Like you're becoming one with Nature or something.

Alchemy, is what they call the science of Echo Crystal fusion in Eastrise.

Using Echo Crystals in combat? To think that such technology exists...

Well, it's not just for combat. In fact, Alchemy is mostly associated with Life according to the ancient texts.

Life?

That's right. The ultimate objective of Alchemy is eternal life.

So can we use it to save my sister?

Uh, I don't think so. I heard that your sister was neither dead nor dying, right?

I guess in some ways, you could say your sister attained immortality. Having been fused with nature, she won't age in the crystal. She is an existence beyond life and death...

If Eastrise alchemists ever heard about this, they'd probably cry their eyes out begging to see your sister.

That's just insane! Even now I am still looking for ways to save Rayna! Yet some people call that eternal life?

I mean, there are people in Eastrise that just stopped thinking! They believe that in this wicked world, the only value of life lies in ''immortality''.

I'm sorry, Awakener. The Alchemy of Eastrise cannot save your sister. The Great Relic is the only way.

Oh... I see.

Keep going and you will come to the final stage of this training, where you face off against the most powerful being in Eastrise, Raeon.

You've done very well to come this far, but I'm not sure you can beat her in your current condition. You wanna tell me what's wrong?

I had a dream about my sister, Rayna.

I always seem to be training... and training... When will I finally get to save her?!

You blame yourself because you aren't strong enough yet?

Yes...

Take your remorse and tears and feed on it.

Life has no place for hesitation, which is meaningless anyway.

Feed on it.

Feed on it!

That's the spirit. You are ready to challenge the Pride of Eastrise.

Congratulations. You have passed the Eastrise test.

Feeding on your remorse... Is that how you got here too, Ms. Stara?

...Yes.

We can be Remorse Buddies...

Haha, very droll...