As Sera knelt next to Jin, her silver hair fell over her shoulders, cascading down her back. His lean body slumped against the cold metal floor and his cryo-suit was torn. His arms and chest were slashed with exposed, blood-stained skin. The cold air caused her nipples to harden beneath the thin fabric of her suit, clearly visible as she leaned over him.
Near his hand was a crude pipe that was slick with dark ichor from the creatures he had fought. Sera's lips curled in a mixture of annoyance and her gold eyes narrowed.
She ripped open a first-aid kit she had discovered by the console and muttered, "You absolute *imbecile*." She paused "Restoring the power by fighting monsters alone? You really are a moron."
Her own cryo-suit was thin and frayed from the century, that clung to her like a second skin, the fabric stretched out across her curves in the chilly air. The suit hugged her breasts tightly, outlining their perfect shape and leaving little to the imagination. Goosebumps prickled her arms, but she ignored them, she tore a gauze packet with her teeth with a precise movement, causing her breasts to press together and create an impressive cleavage.
She applied the gauze to a deep cut on Jin's chest "I swear, if you die on me, I'll drag you back just to yell at you." Leaning closer, her suit catching the glow from the console, the fabric became nearly transparent, revealing the smooth skin beneath. She paused as the warmth of his skin against her fingers caused a slight flush to creep up her neck.
Jin letting out a low moan. His eyes fluttered open, and his dark hair matted with blood that fell across them.
"Mom?" His hand twitched, touching her arm as Sera tried to apply the gauze. The accidental touch caused her to gasp and blush deeply, her face turning bright red.
"You idiot, don't touch me!" Sera jerked back, but the gauze remained in place as she snapped. The sudden movement caused her breasts to bounce slightly. She muttered a curse as her suit moved, fully aware of how little the fabric concealed her body in the fading light. The suit had ridden up slightly, exposing a sliver of her smooth stomach and the curve of her hip.
"I'm trying to keep you alive, so stay still!" Her tone was venomous, but her hands were steady, taping the gauze with care. As she worked, her arm brushed against his chest, sending a jolt through both of them.
Jin blinked, his vision clearing as he took in Sera's face, with its piercing features, fiery eyes, and steel-melting scowl. "Asha… is that you?" he mumbled his gaze drifting to her suit's clinging outline, clearly seeing the shape of her breasts and the hardened nipples beneath the thin fabric before snapping to her face, his cheeks turning red.
Sera's eyes widened, a mix of confusion and indignation flaring. "Asha? Who the hell is Asha?" Her silver hair brushed his shoulder as she leaned closer, her face just inches from his. The movement caused her breasts to press against his arm. "I'm Seraphina Valerius, and you're Jin right? The idiot who woke up first and nearly got himself killed." She paused, studying his face more closely. "Wait... don't you remember me? From the Yamashiro Institute? The rooftop?"
Jin's expression was blank, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry... I don't... I don't remember anything before waking up in that pod."
Sera's frustration grew, but there was something else too—disappointment. "The rooftop? The monsters? You saved my life, you idiot! You activated the flare and fought that creature while I escaped. Don't you remember any of that?"
In Jin's mind, Asha's calming synthetic voice is chimed, unheard of by Sera. "The proximity to Subject Seraphina and your clouded vision to her suit are probably the reasons why your heart rate is 28% higher than normal. My designation is Asha, your neural assistant. Recommendation: Clarify my role to avoid further misunderstanding, and stabilize your vitals."
"New interaction protocol initiated. [Social Link Established: Seraphina Valerius - Stranger]. Current Affinity: 2/100. Her direct medical intervention despite verbal hostility indicates a baseline 'Tsundere Concern' trait."
Jin winced, both from pain and embarrassment. "Asha's… uh, in my head," he said, tapping his temple weakly. "She's an AI, helps me with stuff." He looked at Sera with genuine confusion in his eyes. "I'm sorry... I really don't remember. Why can't I remember?"
Sera's face softened slightly at his obvious distress, but her tsundere nature quickly reasserted itself. "Great, so you're not just an idiot, you're an amnesiac idiot." Despite her sharp tongue, her eyes darted to his wounds with a flicker of concern.
Asha's voice spoke again in Jin's mind. "Your memory loss is a documented side effect of the Emergency Resurrection Sub-Routine, Jin. The Phoenix Core AI had to sacrifice several latent genetic archive protocols to restart your functions. Unfortunately, this included most of your pre-stasis memories, particularly recent ones. The hippocampal tissue degradation mentioned in your initial assessment made this sacrifice necessary for your survival."
Jin's eyes widened as he processed this information. "So... I really did save you? But I don't remember it at all?"
"Affirmative, Jin. According to the logs, you engaged multiple hostile entities on the rooftop of Yamashiro Institute, successfully activated an emergency beacon, and protected Subject Seraphina until extraction by Phoenix Corps forces. Your actions directly led to her survival and your own retrieval for Project Phoenix."
---
[First Encounter – The Ice Queen Maiden
Objective:
• Survive initial interaction with Seraphina Valerius
• Avoid critical Affinity loss
Potential Rewards:
• Minor [Charisma] EXP
• Skill Note: [Social Comprehension – Tsundere Type]
Status: Baseline: Non-Hostile — Progressing...]
---
Sera finished taping a final bandage, sitting back with a huff with her suit catching the light as she crossed her arms, pushing her breasts up. "Don't think this makes us friends, Jin. I'm only doing this because I can't lead a bunch of sleeping girls with you dead." She stood, offering a hand to help him up and he gripped her hands firmly. Her touch lingers for a moment too long, and as she pulls him up, their bodies pressed close together, her breasts brushing against his chest. "Now get up. We need to check cryo-bay. Those pods won't stay stable forever with this Vault falling apart."
Jin took her hand and stood up, his ripped suit revealing more of his bandaged chest. "Thanks… Seraphina." Testing her name out loud his voice soft and genuine. "I'm sorry I don't remember saving you, but I'm glad I did."
Sera turned to cover a slightly blushed face and snorted. Her silver hair was swaying as she led the way toward the emergency ladder, but there was a hint of something new in her glance back at Jin. The movement caused her ass to sway enticingly beneath the tight fabric of her suit. "Call me Sera, and don't make promises you can't keep." They were reminded of the chaos above by the hum of the Vault, but for now, they weren't alone anymore.
---
[[Quest Update]
First Encounter: The Ice Maiden — COMPLETE!
Rewards:
+50 [Charisma] EXP
New Social Link: Seraphina Valerius – Acquaintance
• Affinity: 12 / 100 (Increased due to successful aid and perceived sincerity)
New Passive Skill Unlocked:
[Tsundere Radar – Lv. 1]
• Grants a small chance to correctly interpret mixed signals from tsundere-type individuals
• May occasionally backfire with misread intentions
---
As Sera took a few steps, Jin stopped swaying slightly. And curious of what happened earlier before he black out.
Jin murmured almost too low for himself to hear 'Asha… what… what happened to the monsters?… the Shamblers… are they all gone?'
'Affirmative, Jin. The internal automated defense grid, which had been inactive for about 93 years due to a lack of power, was one of the several higher Vault systems that came online after the Auxiliary Fusion Core was successfully reactivated.'
Asha continued with her speech "My scans indicate the defense system initiated a sector-wide sweep, neutralizing all active, unauthorized biological threats within the primary Vault perimeter. This included the remaining VHNDS Shamblers in this sub-level and any other mutated fauna, such as the rat-variants you previously encountered."
[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]
Vault Security: Level 2 – Secure (Internal Threats Neutralized)
Caution: External perimeter status unknown
Jin's eyes widened slightly as he processed what Asha said "So… the Vault… it killed all of them after I turned the power on?" With a strange mixture of relief and sadness for what those creatures were once human, he turned to face the area where he had fought the Shamblers, his torn suit revealing his bandaged torso.
'Correct. The defense system utilized a combination of targeted sonic pulses, neuro-disruptive frequencies, and, in some instances, kinetic force projectors. It was designed to eliminate threats to Vault integrity and its designated inhabitants. Your actions in reactivating the fusion core directly enabled this.'
'Regarding your condition, Jin: you sustained multiple critical injuries. Your fight with the Alpha Shambler and its pack resulted in fractured ribs, severe lacerations, and catastrophic blood loss, leading to temporary ceasing of vital signs.'
[VITALS - POST-RESURRECTION STATUS]
Condition: Resurrection Sickness
• Debuff: −10% to all attributes
• Duration: 00:57:12
• Side Effects: Nausea likely
Jin rubbing his chest where his ribs ached 'Resurrection… protocol? So I… I actually died?' The thought was terrifying.
'Your biological functions ceased for approximately 7.3 seconds, Jin. The Phoenix Core AI initiated Emergency Resurrection Sub-Routine Alpha, utilizing nearly all reserved system energy and sacrificing several latent genetic archive protocols to restart your functions. It was… an improbable success. Another such event may not be survivable without an external energy source for the Protocol.'
Jin swayed again. He felt an overwhelming urge to sit down, or just fall over.
---
[HUD SYSTEM NOTICE — PRIORITY]
SUBJECT: JIN — RESURRECTION SEQUENCE: COMPLETE
[CHARACTER LEVEL: 03 → 04] (LEVEL UP)
[XP: 1,060 TOTAL] → OVERFLOW: 160 / 1,600 (10% TO NEXT LEVEL)
LEVEL UP REWARDS:
• ATTRIBUTE INCREASES:
→ STR +0.30 (4.77 → 5.07)
→ DEX +0.08 (1.22 → 1.30)
→ AGI +0.15 (3.50 → 3.65)
→ END +0.25 (4.00 → 4.25)
→ RES +0.25 (3.80 → 4.05)
→ PER +0.20 (4.20 → 4.40)
• SKILL GAINS:
→ IMPROVISED MELEE WEAPON — LV.5 — 07.7% → 10.0%
→ DESPERATE STRIKE — LV.2 — 00.0% → 04.0% ← (New / combat-finisher skill)
→ ATHLETICS — LV.1 — 00.5% → 01.3%
→ BASIC FIRST AID — LV.2 — 00.0% → 05.0%
→ MUTATED FAUNA COMBAT BASICS — LV.1 — 00.0% → 02.0%
• PASSIVE UNLOCKED:
→ Phoenix Resilience (Lv.1) — TEMP +8% DAMAGE RESIST for 00:30:00 (nanite reboot)
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
"Resurrection complete. Core energy stabilized via emergency gene-archive consumption. Your physiology exhibits accelerated anabolic response. Recommended: hydrate, stabilize, and conserve energy for 00:15:00 while nanite recalibration completes."
---
Jin's eyes widened as the HUD flashed before him. 'Asha, what's happening? I feel... different.'
'Your resurrection has triggered a level-up, Jin. The Phoenix Core has processed your combat experience and survival against the Shamblers, resulting in significant physiological enhancements. Your strength, agility, and other attributes have increased across the board.'
'So I'm stronger now? Even though I feel like I've been hit by a truck?'
'Affirmative. The nanites in your system are recalibrating, which explains the sensation of physical discomfort. The Phoenix Resilience passive ability should help mitigate damage for the next thirty minutes. However, I must caution you that your current HP remains critically low. The attribute increases will not compensate for severe injuries.'
Jin nodded slowly, processing this information. He looked at his hands, flexing them experimentally. 'These improvements... they're because I fought those things?'
'Correct. The Phoenix Core is designed to accelerate adaptation through experience. Your successful engagement with multiple hostile entities, despite the severe injuries sustained, provided sufficient data for the system to enhance your physical capabilities.'
Jin felt a strange mix of pride and confusion. He had survived, but at what cost? And why couldn't he remember any of it?
He was motionless, and Sera, who had stopped at the bottom of the ladder, glanced back with her gold eyes squinted impatiently. As she turned, the movement caused her suit to stretch across her ass, outlining its perfect curves.
"Well? Are you coming, Jin, or are you planning to take root down here? The clock is still ticking, you know. Those pods won't stay stable forever just because you managed to flip a switch and survive your own stupidity."
Jin blinked, shaking his head to clear it. Sera was correct. He suppressed the fear and the fatigue. One silver-haired, sharp-tongued girl was waiting for him, while the other thirteen girls were still asleep.
Jin takes a deep breath "Yeah… yeah, Sera. Coming."
With his new "Tsundere Radar" skill already pinging faintly in his mind, he took one last look around the now eerily silent Sub-Level Engineering before turning and starting the slow, agonizing ascent up the ladder, his torn suit revealing more of his bandaged body with each movement.