Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

“Ignis.”

Ignis lowered her head briefly before she walked through the rings of light at a brisk pace. Each ring of light she passed dispersed like fireflies scattering at dawn. The eleventh ring remained, and it was the ring where Frost waited under with a coffin containing her gift.

“You’ve been with us for as long as Snap has. From the ashes of Divas Pass to the Symbiote of the Nexus. If not a Beholder, then you are a Star and a Moon in my eyes. You fought side by side with us. Faced unimaginable terrors at such a young age.”

Frost opened with a heartfelt speech. Petals danced along the floor of the stage as a soft breeze swept by. The flower wreaths worn by the Healers peeled away, causing petals to cascade along the amphitheater like snow.

She continued.

“Age alone doesn’t equal wisdom. Knowledge does not need to come from one’s perfect book. Some are gifted. Others comprehend complex phenomena. But it will never change that Gifts are what makes an Atelier so powerful.”

Frost paused, and then, she retrieved a small item from the coffin. It was a petri dish with a lidless eye. The object sat snugly in the palm of her hand. Other than that, it had no obvious anomalous properties.

Yet Ignis sensed its power.

“Will you take on the mantle of a Beholder in spite of this?”

“Mn.”

Ignis’ answer was firm. She didn’t need to think about it. Ignis rarely changed her mind. Knowing this, Frost offered the gift as she wore a tender smile.

“You’ve surpassed me in my understanding of the body. There are illnesses in Elysia that Healers cannot heal. People with such diverse biology, and yet, Healers cannot heal them all.”

Frost drew a bead of light from a fragmented halo above her head, right after Ignis retrieved the Bioculture Adaptation. Then, with a voice that shook the very foundations of the amphetheater, Frost asked:

“Ignis. Why is it that you desire to become a Beholder?”

“I want to let people who can’t fight have a chance… I want people to be happy. I want their lives to be easier.”

“What led you to such a revelation?”

“… I remember the anger of the Crimson Hunger. Our Bodies. Their Bodies. The slimes they turned people into. The floors that groaned because they were made of people. The walls of friends and neighbors I used to know… Why is it anger that brings people together? If flesh is anger for them, then I wanted mine to be comfort. A weapon. Mn. Protection.”

Ignis was the opposite of the Crimson Hunger, despite having suspisiously similar traits. The Crimson Hunger assimilated people and could use their biomass to create living creatures or weapons.

Ignis was no different.

But she didn’t do it out of malice.

That was not to say that there was no hatred in her creations.

Wrath was an entirely different beast from what the Crimson Hunger represented. If Ignis represented Wrath, then the Crimson Hunger were closer to Vigor and the Sin of Wrath, rather than the Affinity.

Wrath. The common flame holds the power to create an inferno. Calfasio… If only you could see Ignis right now.

And for that reason, Ignis resembled a tamed flame in Frost’s eyes. It didn’t burn for the sake of spreading its flames. Rather, Ignis was the candle to light unlit wicks. Hence, her inventions that aimed to protect Healers as well as restore functionality to those who had lost it.

“I used to believe that I could only hurt people. But in time… and because of you… I realized that there’s so much more to my powers than making weapons.”

Indeed. In the past, Ignis was primarily a combatant. But she had recently pivoted to using her powers in a therapeutic manner. Rarely did one see her produce her iconic bone blade, or the skeletal titian that wreaked havoc against Scarlet Logic’s swarm in the City of Spades.

Ignis’ hand gripped the petri dish. It creaked, but it did not shatter. She kept it close to her heart as she lowered her head in heartfelt thanks before Frost asked her another question.

“Tell me, Ignis. What is the goal of your Atelier?”

Ignis’ eyes lit ablaze.

“A courier using the slimes… I want to provide an uncompromisable service to the world. But primarily, my Atelier will focus on pharmaceuticals!”

The intensity of her voice gradually grew with each spoken word until she was shouting.

“My Atelier will create items to protect people! Items to bring back what people lost! Items to let people possess what they weren’t born with!”

“To restore. Not to destroy. Wrath is a complex Affinity, is it not? The previous Atelier served as the paramilitary of the Nexus and its Ateliers.”

“Wrath in a restorative form, born from the desire to protect, because you have experienced what it is like to be on the receiving end of the other hideous side of wrath.”

“Ignis.”

“What is the name of your Atelier?”

Ignis swallowed. And then, she announced the name at the top of her lungs.

“Symbio Pharmaceutical! With its branch; Gelatin Logistics!”

The name brought a pleased smile to Frost’s face. Ignis had such childish tastes. But given the warm reception from the audience, the names she had given them were perfect. Ignis had also smartly separated her main Atelier from the slime courier side.

The bead of light in Frost’s hand grew to the size of an apple. It was a Lodefruit created from the [Fruit of Divine Succulence] Ability. Its only effect was to grant exactly one Light upon consumption. This was a symbolic gesture more than anything.

And the moment Ignis took her first bite of the Lodefruit, her Status changed.

Her stats were a lot higher than they were months ago, largely in thanks to achieving Mastery in several Skills. While she was far from the strongest, she was still quite formidable. Still, she took Beholder Marionette’s crown of the weakest Beholder.

Unless they include Clothina.

“You are the eleventh Beholder of the Nexus, now representing Wrath. Welcome to the ranks of the Beholders, Beholder Ignis.”

The amphitheater erupted in cheers. Every Affinity of the Nexus now had a Beholder to represent it. No one knew what Ignis would achieve months from now. But there wasn’t a single person who doubted Ignis’ capabilities.

“Beholder Ignis… Mn.” Ignis enjoyed the sound of the Beholder prefix. “Beholder Galia looks happy. Mn. It looks like Beholder E. is also pleased. They’re not as scary as I thought.”

She suddenly set her sights onto someone else in the crowd.

“Frost.” Her voice was barely audible due to the applause.

“You can.” Frost already knew what Ignis wanted to ask. “That child deserves to see the world. Let’s wait until it’s night.”

“How come?”

“Stella’s always wanted to see what the stars looked like. Do you remember the painting Ayle drew for her?”

“Ah… The one she touched?”

“Yeah. I think it’s only fitting that the first thing Stella sees are the stars she aspired to become.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’m sure you will. Ignis. Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.”

Frost stroked her head before pulling her into a warm embrace, moments before Jury jumped in to sandwich her.

“We both are~!”

“Mn!”